Father's Day: Gratitude Vs Ingratitude/ Elias Bejjani

Blessed indeed is the man who hears many gentle voices call him father!" (Lydia M. Child, U.S. Author)

Hopefully, all men will have the blessed grace of being fathers. Being a father is a heavenly endowment, a great satisfaction, and a fulfilling Godly obligation as the Holy Bible teaches us: "Genesis 1:28 "God blessed them. God said to them, �Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it."

Almighty God has blessed both parents, fathers and mothers and recommended that they be honored, respected, cared for, and obeyed by their children. God's fifth commandment delineates this heavenly obligation and duty: ""Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which The Lord your God gives you." (Exodus 20:12 )

God is our Holy Father, and we all, men and women, are His beloved children. Fathers on Earth are God's servants who are entrusted by Him to safeguard, raise, embrace, support, provide and teach their children. Meanwhile fathers are required to carry their holy duties in raising their children in the fear of God, with the best of their knowledge, all their resource and means, full devotion and with all required sacrifices.

Fathers are the cornerstone of their families upon which children depend, learn, nurture, hold fast and shape their lives. Caring, devoted and righteous fathers are always given a hand by God and blessed for their rearing and erection of boundaries.

Today we are celebrating "Fathers' Day", with all those who cherish fathers, appreciate their sacrifices and honor their Godly role. Best wishes to all fathers hoping they will be shown today all the due gratitude from their sons and daughters. On this very special day our deceased fathers' and mothers' spirits are roaming around sharing with us our joy and happiness, God bless their souls.

Attitudes of gratitude or ingratitude towards fathers on Fathers' Day, are very sensitive issues that affect and touch the hearts and minds of many people. These two contradicting attitudes exhibit how much a person is either appreciative or ungrateful.

The majority of people hold on dear to their fathers and do all that they can to always show them their great and deeply felt gratitude, while sadly there are those odd ones out who show no gratitude, abandon them and even at times endeavour to ruin their lives and inflict harm and pain on them.

By doing so and negating God's commandments that stress an utmost respect for parents, these people make themselves enemies of Christ Himself. Definitely God will be angry about such condemned conduct. This deviation from all human norms occur because of ignorance, selfishness, lack of faith and hope. These people fall into temptation, become proud of what they should be ashamed of, worship things that belong to this world and forget all about "Judgment Day".

Colossians 3/20: "Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord". Leviticus 20:9: "For anyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death; he has cursed his father or his mother; his blood is upon him"

Fathers no matter what must be loved, honored, dignified and respected. God Himself is a Father and He will not bless those who deny their fathers' heavenly right of fatherhood and respect. In this context, Billy Graham says: "A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed, and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society." The Holy Bible in tens of its verses warns and puts on notice all those with callous hearts and numbed conscience who show no gratitude to their fathers and break their hearts.

Isaiah 46:4: "Even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save."

Even when fathers are abandoned by their children and denied their heavenly rights, they never ever hold any grudges, feelings of hatred or hostility against them. No matter what, fathers always wish their children health, prosperity and success. One of our Lebanese deeply rooted sayings portray how fathers constantly feel towards their ungrateful children: " My heart beats for my son no matter what, while my son's heart is callous like a rock"

Many verses in the Holy Bible overtly call on the children to treat their parents with love, endurance, affection and utmost care. At the same time the Bible instructs parents to value the Godly delegation to them to raise their children with all means of righteous, protection and provision.

Proverbs 23/22: "Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old".

Ephesians 06/01-02: "Children, it is your Christian duty to obey your parents, for this is the right thing to do. Respect your father and mother is the first commandment that has a promise added: so that all may go well with you, and you may live a long time in the land".

Many grown-up men and women do not appreciate their parents' sacrifices unless they themselves have become parents. Back home in Lebanon where the family has always been sacred, we have a saying that shows how important it is in the eyes of the God that parents are always to be respected, honored and loved. "God will not bless or facilitate the life of those who mistreat their parents and He will reply to the parents' wrath when they ask for punishment for their ungrateful children".

Good, loving , faithful and God-fearing fathers know no hatred, grudges or despair. They remain, always, hopeful and keep on praying to Almighty God that their children, (grateful or ungrateful ) are constantly healthy, prosperous, happy, and successful .

Philippians 04/04-07: "May you always be joyful in your union with the Lord. I say it again: rejoice! Show a gentle attitude toward everyone. The Lord is coming soon. Don't worry about anything, but in all your prayers ask God for what you need, always asking him with a thankful heart. And God's peace, which is far beyond human understanding, will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with Christ Jesus.".